@ Well, Bob, that's not how a Vatican spokesman, Rev. Thomas Rosica, put it to CNN.

"Francis’ comments received a great deal of attention on social media, with a number of people asking whether the Catholic leader believes that atheists and agnostics go to heaven, too.

On Thursday, the Vatican issued an 'explanatory note on the meaning to "salvation."'

The Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Vatican spokesman, said that people who aware of the Catholic church “cannot be saved” if they 'refuse to enter her or remain in her.'

At the same time, Rosica writes, 'every man or woman, whatever their situation, can be saved. Even non-Christians can respond to this saving action of the Spirit. No person is excluded from salvation simply because of so-called original sin.'

Rosica also said that Francis had 'no intention of provoking a theological debate on the nature of salvation,' during his homily on Wednesday."

While I do agree with you (and I think it makes far mroe sense) that if a heaven and deity existed, there's no way to know who would or wouldn't make it into heaven, because there's no way to know what that being would do, but according to Rev. Rosica, if you know what the Catholic church teaches regarding the divinity of Jesus and continue to deny it unto death, then the gate is shut. After all, Jesus did say that no one comes to the father except through him. That's not a matter of interpretation. It's a basic tenet.

I am obviously not up to date on Christian beliefs. I thought that you could only be saved as per Ephesians 2:8

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”

An Atheist is not an atheist because he or she is turned off by something a Christian does. One is an Atheist because they do not believe in (any) God. If your Pope repents is he not then saved?

Please Bob let me know what I need to do to ensure your God does not save me and make me live in Heaven for billions and billions of years. Will daily blasphemy do the trick? Eternity is a very long time especially towards the end (Woody Allen). The thought of going to Heaven instils the same dismay in me as going to hell does in Christians. J

Btw when do Catholics go to Heaven? Apart from all the Angels and Saints that are there already, when do other dead people get there? I often hear Catholics saying that a deceased person is in Heaven but I thought it was all going to happen on the Day of Judgement.

When the Pope makes a dead person a saint do they skip judgement and go directly to Heaven?

A pope can change anything he wishes, some things go halfway, just to justify their position now. It is all PR, trying to catch up to what people are actually doing, or need to do. There were secular people in countries like Botswana, teaching them how to use condoms to prevent aids. When Pope Benedict XVI said that using a condom can cause aids, there was such an outcry all over the world, they rescinded and said - : Oh, we have changed our mind, you should be using condoms to lessen the chance of getting aids.

Ratszinger resigned, the first pope to do so, he could see so many problems looming, pedophilia inquires, Ireland telling the vatican to shut up - inquiries into the vatican bank, the hiding of pedophiles at the vatican, the questioning of "How did the Vatican become a State again?"

Not an auspicious or honorable start - Through the Fascist Mussolini, who also gave them money, (of course the vatican denies this) - and that fact, which has never been overturned - gives the Vatican the protection against everybody trying to make inquiries into anything the vatican does.

Lots of rules shave changed, Limbo, where dead unbaptised babies hung about - these babies can now go to heaven.

Eating meat on Friday was considered a sin, not now.

The mass used to be said in Latin, and changed to English in 1970, with many fundamentalist catholics protesting.

One could not have something to eat before taking communion - now you can have breakfast.

Catholics are not supposed to get divorced, if they do, they should not marry again, and a catholic priest will not marry a divorced person - Voila - weddings in the park :) This is deemed to be adultery.

And the catholic church is wondering why they are becoming obsolete in western countries. Duh.

@Bob - keep saying, the PR machine is in full swing - what used to takes decades if not hundreds of years, to become a saint - eight hundred new saints, this year alone - the largest number ever at once - the vatican is getting really desperate.It is all a distraction, what theists are expert at, 'Look over there', not at us, and what we are up to, what we are hiding, keep on looking over there."

Ah.. I loved living in the bay area. If you have wings, you don't have to worry about traffic, which is why I left. (No. Seriously. That's the main reason.)

Let's not forget that the Ex Benedict was being implied in a pretty bizarre blackmail scandal involving a shadowy gay inner-circle at the Vatican, complete with a homoerotic gym/bathhouse apartment resort flings. I'm not kidding. I couldn't make this shit up if I tried. However, others probably could, so I'm not entirely sure how much credibility to give the story.

Further, let's clear up one more thing.

The current Pope is NOT a fan of the big hats and fancy red shoes. He's waaaay less drag than the last one, (which hurts my heart.) and even refused the Papal residency, and kept to an apartment. I'm pretty sure he was even quoted as telling the Italian shoe maker to sell that shit and feed the hungry.

So yeah. HUGE change ups with the Catholic church, as they are dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world.

Let's just hope they get this procreation and condom thing sorted out before too many more people die as a direct result of their misinformation.

This guy is a tool. " For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have Everlasting life." - John 3:16I've always thought of "...whosoever believes in Him..." as NOT including atheists. I'd respect this guy more if he stuck to his guns, and his scripture. Why claim to reverse a basic tenet of the belief? Marketing? Trying to get more butts in the seats? This situation comedy never stops, they just get new writers! "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!"

@Rick - the catholic public relations machine is in full swing. I have no doubt this new pope may be a good guy, he has to prove it, by giving up all the pedophiles hiding in the vatican - that would be a good start.